Multiplayer
First, Pokémon Generations is not and it's never meant to be an MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) game. The best way to describe Pokémon Generations multiplayer experience is like a "co-op" game. Pokémon Generations has been designed as a game that will hold both, a single player and a multiplayer mode, that will allow you to enjoy the wonderful Kanto and Johto regions all by yourself or along up to 5 other friends while you defeat the various Gym Leaders, catch the 251 different Pokémons, etc. The single player mode will have a story of its own, set between the events of Pokémon Red/Blue and Pokémon Gold/Silver. You will only be allowed to play the story in the single player mode. However, the multiplayer mode will still allow you to play with your friends an face the numerous challenges and events that will get in your way while to try to catch 'em all and defeat all the powerful Gym leaders. Setting Up A Public Server Creating your own server is as simple as pressing Start Server in the welcome screen. In order for people to join your server they will need your public IP address and the port if you choose one other than the standard 25565. To find your public IP address you can either search "ip" on Google or go to What Is My IP. Joining A Public Server To join a public server all you have to do is type the IP address into the text box next to "Server:" and what port the server uses next to "Port:" if the host specifies one. Otherwise assume they are using the standard port 25565. Setting Up A Hamachi Server If you are not into messing around with your router/computer's firewall, you can create an Hamachi server that will ease this process by using the following steps: #Download Hamachi. You can download the setup file from LogMeIn's website. #Install the program as usual and run Hamachi. #Go to Network > "Create a new network...". #Fill in the blanks with the information for your server (make sure the Network ID is not already taken). #Next to power button you will see some numbers. That is the IP your friends will use to join your server. #Run Pokémon Generations client and in the welcome screen press "Start Server". Now your server is set up. In order for people to join your server they will need your Hamachi Network ID, network password, and Hamachi IP. Your Hamachi ID and network password are what you set them as when creating the network. You can find your Hamachi IP by Joining A Hamachi Server To join your friend's or anybody else's server you have to follow this steps: #Get the Network ID and password from the host. #Go to Click Network > "Join an existing network...". #Introduce the Newtork ID and the password for the server in the corresponding boxes. #Once you've joined the server, get the host IP. You can either get it from the host or it will also appear next to the host's name. You can know who is the server host by hovering the mouse over the server's tab in the Hamachi window. #Run the Pokémon Generations client. #In the welcome screen, type down the server's IP in the corresponding box and set your ingame name. #Press "Connect to Server" and if everything went well, you should now join the server. If you don't know anyone who can host a server or you can't or don't want to host one either, you can find a list of servers hosted by various people in the Community Play Subforum inside the Pokémon Generations Forums. Troubleshooting So, even though you've followed the above instructions step by step, your friends doesn't seem to be able to join your server. Then you may try one of the following solutions. Port Forwarding If you have a router it will have a firewall that automatically blocks any incoming connections. You will have to set up a port so that it forwards all connections made to it to your computer. Instead of making a huge guide here on how to do so since there are such a large number of routers out there, the good people at PortForward have made guides for just about every combination of router and game. Just go to Guides > Port Forwarding and then select your router brand from the list. After that select your router's model name, and finally select Minecraft Server as the game since it and Pokémon Generations uses the same port and follow that guide. Your router's model and brand name are generally on a sticker on the bottom or back of the router. Firewall Rules Your computer may also have a firewall blocking unauthorized connections. You will have to let either the port or the program through the Windows Firewall. For Windows XP users there are two guides on PortForward, a Port-Based Firewall Rule and a Program-Based Firewall Rule and either one should work. For Windows Vista/7/8 users can just use this guide from the Windows website. Note: Which box you check (Private or Public) depends on what type of network you are on. To check go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center and look. If you are using a firewall other than the Windows one, again there is a list here of a number of different firewalls and guides on how to let programs through. Server Is Full A server can only hold the host and 4 other people for a total of 5 people. If the server is full you will not be able to connect. This is not just a limitation from using Hamachi, this is a limitation built into the game itself. Further Issues If i did not mention a problem(LIKE HOW TO PLAY WITH PEOPLE WITH THE SAME IP) then I am a totall douchbag, or if you need help with any other particular issue, you may want to post it in the General Help Subforum inside the Pokémon Generations Forums so that you may get additional help from the staff or from other people. Also, keep in mind that by reporting unknown bugs you are also helping to develop the game.